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One of Hyper Light

Drifter’s many strengths was its brooding synth score from Rich Vreeland, perhaps better known as Disasterpeace. His work here is a little lighter in tone, but still bears his signature style, while ramping up the drama of the Remnant encounter. Still, scoring a pseudoopen-world game with more freedom to explore must represent a different challenge to a more conventional adventure such as Drifter? “I mean, the short answer is yes,” Preston says. “With Drifter, Rich and I worked closely, really directing that experience and going into every nook and cranny to build out the audio experience to match what was happening in the level design and the combat.” The sheer scale of the world and the procedural systems that Vreeland and audio designer Troupe Gammage have built have further complicated the process. “It’s also just the raw technical components of it, and making things feel true within open spaces that are much more simple to do in a more guided experience,” Preston adds. Little wonder it’s taken four years, really.